Zhou Zhilán gently set down her teacup and turned toward the inner chamber.
Her maid was already waiting in the corridor. Seeing her emerge, she stepped forward half a pace, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Miss, everything on master's side has been arranged."
Zhou Zhilán nodded slightly. "And Xu Changming?"
"Just received news," the maid leaned in a little closer, "Steward Xu has ordered all the entrances of the Zhou family sealed. Even the side gate of the auxiliary courtyard has been manned."
"Very well." She lifted the corner of her lips in a faint smile, "Then we should 'do our part' too."
Inside the Zhou family council hall, the lights burned bright.
Xu Changming sat high in the main seat, his expression icy. He was flanked by Hehuan Sect disciples, their presence exuding a chilling aura.
A few of the Zhou elders stood nervously at the lower end of the hall, barely daring to breathe.
"Zhou Moxuan colluded with evil cultivators and plotted to murder the Patriarch. The evidence is indisputable." Xu Changming's voice was cold, "By Hehuan Sect law, he must be executed."
"Steward Xu!" Third Elder forced himself forward, "There are still some doubts. Moxuan, he—"
"Doubts?" Xu Changming sneered, waving his hand. A black jade slip floated in the air, surrounded by a swirl of baleful qi. "This was recovered from his secret chamber. It's evil cultivator techniques, stamped with his spiritual signature. You tell me, is that a doubt?"
Third Elder fell silent.
"As for the Patriarch's death…" Xu Changming's gaze swept over everyone, "Zhou Moxuan's account of medicinal ingredients makes it perfectly clear. He had prepared the poison long ago, only waiting for the right moment to act."
"But… the Patriarch died from overexertion in cultivation!" Fifth Elder couldn't help but protest.
"Overexertion?" Xu Changming snorted. He tapped his fingers, and a residue of a pill glowed with a faint blue light, appearing before everyone. "This came from the Patriarch's study. Mixed in was 'Soul-Eroding Powder'—a colorless, tasteless poison that silently erodes a cultivator's Primordial Soul, ultimately causing spiritual power to run rampant, mimicking overexertion.
And this poison…" His gaze cut like a blade, piercing the onlookers, "was personally concocted by Zhou Moxuan."
The council hall fell into complete silence.
Zhou Zhilán remained in the corner, quietly observing it all.
Xu Changming was even harsher than she imagined. He didn't care about the truth; he only needed a result that seemed reasonable. And Zhou Moxuan was the perfect scapegoat.
Three days later, at the Zhou family ancestral hall.
All of Zhou Moxuan's faction had been arrested, accused of "colluding with evil cultivators and plotting against the Patriarch." One loyal subordinate confessed everything under severe torture and was executed on the spot.
"Miss Zhilán." Xu Changming looked at Zhou Zhilán with satisfaction, "It's thanks to your timely discovery of the evil cultivators' traces."
Zhou Zhilán lowered her eyes and bowed. "Steward Xu, you flatter me. I was just doing my duty."
"I hear you're knowledgeable about medicine?"
"I know a little," she said lightly.
"The Hehuan Sect's Pill Pavilion is lacking a scribe for the medicinal texts." Xu Changming's tone was meaningful. "I wonder if you'd be willing to take the post?"
Zhou Zhilán's eyelashes fluttered, hiding the glint in her eyes. "That… would need my father's approval."
Zhou Hanqing quickly interjected, "It would be my daughter's honor to serve the Hehuan Sect."
That night.
Zhou Zhilán pushed open the door to Tinghe Pavilion. Moonlight poured over her pure white robes like liquid silver.
Xie Zhaolin leaned against the corridor, spinning a jade chess piece between her fingers. Seeing Zhou Zhilán enter, her lips curved slightly. "Looks like Xu Changming takes a liking to you."
"Each takes what they need," Zhou Zhilán replied, pulling a gilded token from her sleeve and placing it gently on the stone table. "This is for you, Senior."
Xie Zhaolin's spirit-sense swept over it, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes. "A Steward's Token?"
Three days ago, after the Zhou family affair, Xie Zhaolin had handed her the token obtained from the evil cultivator for Zhou Zhilán to deal with. She hadn't expected it to return such a 'gift.'
Before Xie Zhaolin could say more, Zhou Zhilán continued. "Xu Changming has approved me to serve as the Pill Pavilion scribe."
Pill Pavilion scribe?
Xie Zhaolin paused mid-gesture, the teacup spinning lightly in her palm. Her eyes flickered—if she remembered correctly, the Pill Pavilion elder was Xu Changming's long-time rival.
Amid the swirling tea mist, Xie Zhaolin chuckled softly. "You really know how to pick a position."
She set down her teacup gently. "With your skills, if you truly wanted a spot as an inner sect disciple, this token would be enough to get you there."
Zhou Zhilán refilled Xie Zhaolin's teacup. Amid the trickling water, she shook her head slightly. "Senior jokes. The inner sect may be good, but it doesn't suit me right now."
"Oh?" Xie Zhaolin raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting with curiosity.
Zhou Zhilán lifted her gaze, the tea reflecting her cold, sharp features. "Even if I joined the inner sect, so what?"
She tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "My father is still from a collateral branch, with no real foundation. To those golden children, he's just a floating weed at their mercy. Being the Pill Pavilion scribe is a minor post—" The tea reflected a faint curve on her lips. "But it gives legal access to all the prescriptions.
Xu Changming needs someone watching over them, and I…" Zhou Zhilán tapped lightly on the table, "need those resources to climb."
Xie Zhaolin chuckled softly. "You're straightforward."
"Why hide it in front of a senior?" Zhou Zhilán set down her teacup, the porcelain chiming against the wooden table. "I didn't join the Hehuan Sect to be a pawn."
Her fingers traced the patterns on the gilded token. "I want real power in my hands.
Moreover…" A glint flashed in her eyes. "Xu Changming's century-old foundation is all in the outer sect. Tying myself to that line…"
She tapped the token sharply. "…is worth far more than entering the inner sect."
Xie Zhaolin looked at her intently. "You're even clearer-headed than I thought."
"Those who aren't clear-headed die early." Zhou Zhilán gazed at the moonlight in the courtyard. "Just like Seventh Uncle."
Xie Zhaolin toyed with the token, waiting for her to continue.
"He committed suicide in prison last night," the girl's voice was calm, without a hint of emotion. "Leaving a blood letter, confessing everything."
Xie Zhaolin lifted her gaze to meet her steady eyes.
She knew the blood letter was crafted by Zhou Zhilán herself.
"The new Patriarch?"
"Second Elder," Zhou Zhilán's lips curved faintly, "Thirty years ago, he was gravely injured. My father saved him with the treasured Nine-Turn Revival Pill."
"Once he took the position, he'll naturally protect my father's status in the pharmacy."
Xie Zhaolin paused mid-gesture with the token. "Your father… is willing?"
"And if he's not?" Zhou Zhilán's eyes reflected complexity. "He… isn't fit to be Patriarch."
Xie Zhaolin raised her eyebrow. "Oh?"
"He's too indecisive." Zhou Zhilán whispered, "The Zhou family needs a strong hand. And with the main branches watching hungrily, if he truly sits in that position…" She paused, "…he'd die faster than Seventh Uncle."
"You've thought it all through," Xie Zhaolin remarked.
"I haven't thought it through," Zhou Zhilán said blankly, staring at the night sky, "This world forces you to."
After a moment of silence, Xie Zhaolin finally spoke. "I'll take the token." She tapped it lightly, and it vanished in a streak of light into her sleeve.
"In return…" Zhou Zhilán looked up, "I can help you once more."
"You mean…"
"Xu Changming isn't someone to be trifled with." Xie Zhaolin tapped three crisp knocks on the table, "You'll need a proper show of loyalty."
Amid the drifting tea mist, Zhou Zhilán's eyes brightened in understanding. "You mean… the matter three days from now?"
"The batch of Nine Nether Mystic Ice Lotus offered by Qinglan Sect," Xie Zhaolin said softly. "Xu Changming's been trying to intercept it."